Celtic: Scottish Premiership title not a two-horse race - Brendan Rodgers - BBC Sport Celtic: Scottish Premiership title not a two-horse race - Brendan Rodgers By David Currie Media playback is not supported on this device No Celtic signings imminent - Brendan Rodgers New Celtic bosss Brendan Rodgers says it is "disrespectful" to label the Scottish Premiership as a two-horse race between the champions and Rangers. Rodgers, who hopes to sign "one or two" players, expects Aberdeen and Hearts, second and third last time, to improve. "I think Aberdeen are going to be stronger again. They have signed some good players, as have Hearts," he said. "The other teams will always fight to make it very difficult. There is no way it is only going to be two teams." Having begun pre-season training this week, Rodgers says he is "taking his time" to "assess and analyse" the squad at his disposal before starting their Champions League qualifying campaign in three weeks. The Hoops will travel to face either Flora Tallin of Estonia or Gibraltar side Lincoln Red Imps on 12/13 July, with the return leg at Parkhead the following week.

If successful, a further two-leg qualifying round awaits - either side of high-profile friendlies against Leicester and Barcelona - before the start of their title defence against Hearts on the weekend of 6/7 August. Rodgers says "it is going to take a bit of time for the players to settle into my ideas" "You have to remember these players are the current champions so they have earned the right for me to at least have a look at them," Rodgers told BBC Scotland. "But I certainly think that having assessed the team over a number of games, there are one or two areas where there are maybe one or two we can bring in that can help. "There is a lot of great work going on behind the scenes and the club has been terrific in terms of supporting what I want to add. "In 12 weeks the Champions League group stages start and the most important thing for us is to be in it. That will be with the current players and hopefully one or two that can help them get there." Old Firm rivalry 'won't affect Warburton friendship' Rodgers renewed acquaintances on Tuesday with Rangers boss Mark Warburton, who worked in the youth set-up at Watford when Rodgers was manager from 2008-2009.

"We spoke a few weeks back and Mark is a good guy," he added. "Whatever rivalry there is between clubs, it doesn't spread outside of the field in terms of our relationship. "He did excellent work for me when I was at Watford and he has done very well in his own right as a manager, both at Brentford and up here at Rangers. "It is going to be a competitive league this year. You want the best teams in it, and Rangers won their league last year and are in it. "We are looking forward to the challenge of retaining the title. We will just concentrate on our own job and if we do that, we know we are in with a great chance of making it six in a row." Share this page Rangers FC History, Players, Team, Information Rangers FC History Rangers Football Club is among the world's most successful football clubs and are the most succesful Scottish team. Founded in 1873 (although the club itself was founded in 1873, the same team was founded in 1872 - see below), Rangers, as the club is commonly referred to as, play at the 50,411 seat Ibrox Stadium in south west Glasgow.

Rangers play in royal blue shirts, white shorts and black and red socks. The present side is multinational and multiracial. The club has traditionally been identified with the Protestant community of Glasgow, and for most of its history it has enjoyed a fierce rivalry with crosstown opponents Celtic, which draws much of its support from Glasgow's Catholic community. Between them the two clubs dominate Scottish football, and are collectively known as The Old Firm. The club's correct name is simply Rangers, although they are sometimes (incorrectly) called Glasgow Rangers - often by English commentators seeking to distinguish between them and other similarly named clubs, particularly Queens Park Rangers. The club is nicknamed The Gers by friend and foe alike, although the fans are known as "Bluenoses" and "bears". The Birth and the early days In 1872, Moses McNeil, Tom Vallance and Peter Campbell saw a group of men playing football on Glasgow Green's Flesher's Haugh and decided to form a team of their own. Three of McNeil's six brothers (Peter, William and Harry) joined him in this new pastime and together they formed the core of the early Rangers sides.

The team's first game was in May of 1872 against Callander F.C. on Flesher's Haugh, which resulted in a 0-0 draw. At first they played under the name Argyle. Moses McNeil suggested the name Rangers after seeing the name in a book about English Rugby. Rangers only played two matches in their birth year and their second match was a comprehensive 11-0 win over Clyde. Rangers began to grow into a more formal football club and in 1876, for the first time, a player was called up to play international football as Moses McNeil made his Scotland debut against Wales. In 1888 the now famous old firm fixture was born as Rangers met Celtic for the first time in a friendly match which Celtic won 5-2. By 1890 the Scottish league was formed and Rangers enjoyed a victorious first season as they finished joint-top with Dumbarton and after a play-off match finished 2-2, the title was shared.

Rangers had to wait until 1884 to taste their first Scottish Cup success after losing to Vale of Leven in 1877 and 1879 but finally lifted the trophy for the first time after a 3-1 win over Celtic. Rangers even came close to winning the English FA Cup in 1887 when they lost to Aston Villa in the semi-final. Rangers ended the nineteenth century with further Scottish cup wins 1897 and 1898 and a League championship win in 1899 during which they won every one of their 18 league matches. Rangers formally became a business company in 1899 and match secretary William Wilton was appointed as the clubs first manager. The club also appointed it's first board of directors under the chairmanship of James Henderson. Rangers were well on their way to becoming one of Scotland's top clubs. Wilton and Struth Rangers continued their success in the early 1900's winning the championship seven times between 1900 and 1918.

Having lost the title in 1919 they responded in 1920 with one of the best seasons in their history as manager William Wilton and his right hand man Bill Struth retained the title as they hit 106 goals in 42 league games. However, in May 1920 the clubs first ever manager William Wilton died in a boating accident and subsequently Bill Struth was appointed manager. Struth would go on to be a legend as he steered Rangers to 18 league championships, 10 Scottish Cups and 2 League Cups in his 34 year tenure as manager. He was also the first Rangers manager to win the domestic treble when it was achieved for the first time in Scottish football history in season 1948-1949. Under Scott Symon After Bill Struth collected two more domestic doubles in 1950 and 1953 Scott Symon was appointed as Rangers third manager in 1954. Symon continued Struth's success winning six league championships, five Scottish Cups and four League Cups. He also became the second manager to win the domestic treble in season 1963-1964.

Symon also took Rangers into the European Cup for the first time in 1956-1957 going out on to French team OGC Nice. They did however reach the semi-finals in 1960 losing eventually to German team Eintracht Frankfurt. By 1961 Rangers became the first British team to reach a European final when they contested the Cup Winners Cup final against Italians Fiorentina only to lose 4-1. Rangers suffered yet more despair in the final of the same competition in losing to Bayern Munich in 1967. Davie White Davie White was installed as Rangers' fourth manager in 1967. However, his tenure was a brief one and he was dismissed after little more than two years in charge, winning nothing. Euro glory under Waddell Willie Waddell was appointed as Rangers manager in 1969 and he guided Rangers to their first, and only to date, European triumph when they won the Cup Winners Cup by beating Dynamo Moscow 3-2 at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. The triumph came just two years after the Ibrox disaster where 66 people died on the east terrace on staircase 13.

Within weeks of their European success, Willie Waddell moved to the general manager position and his coach Jock Wallace was appointed as manager. Jock Wallace Having been appointed as manager in their centenary year, Wallace celebrated with a Scottish Cup win having beaten Celtic 3-2 in the final. Rangers finally broke Celtic's Scottish football dominance in 1974-1975 by winning the league championship which was to be the last of its kind as a new format consisting of a Scottish Premier League was to be introduced the following season. In the inaugural Premier League season, Rangers not only won the league championship but also their third domestic treble. Despite winning nothing in season 1975-1976, Rangers once again won the domestic treble the next season. However, after a disagreement with Willie Waddell and the board he quit in 1978 and Rangers turned to a former playing hero and captain John Greig.

John Greig Despite winning a Scottish cup win in 1981 and a league cup win the following season, aided by the signing of Ally McCoist, Greig resigned as manager in 1983 after a relatively unsuccessful spell as manager with Celtic and Aberdeen now dominating Scottish football. Return of the Jock Rangers hoped to rekindle success by bringing Jock Wallace back to the club. He won the league cup twice in a row in 1983 and 1984 but league form was indifferent. The continuing dominance of Celtic, Aberdeen and now Dundee United put Wallace under increasing pressure and by season 1985-1986 Rangers had slipped to fifth place in the league and subsequently he was sacked as manager. The Souness Era Graeme Souness was appointed as Rangers' first player-manager in 1986 and it began a period of signing top players from England. In his first season at the helm, he brought the championship back to Ibrox and also won the league cup. Rangers were on the brink of returning to greatness and that was aided by the arrival of tycoon business man David Murray.

In the first season of the Souness - Murray partnership (1989), Rangers won the first of what would eventually become nine championship wins in a row. During his time, Souness made the most controversial signing in Scottish football history by signing Roman Catholic and former Celtic player Mo Johnston. Souness also signed some top European players including Ray Wilkins and Terry Butcher. Despite this success, Souness left Rangers in 1991 to join former club Liverpool. Souness' assistant Walter Smith was appointed as Rangers' ninth manager. Nine in a row Walter Smith went on to clinch the championship in 1991 following Souness' departure after a dramatic last day win over title challengers Aberdeen. Smith, with the financial backing of David Murray, continued to attract top players to the club and in season 1991 - 1992 steered Rangers to one of the best seasons in their history. Not only did they win the domestic treble but they came to within one match of the European Cup final. Rangers saw off English Premier League champions Leeds United in a 'battle of Britain' qualifier.

In the group stage, Rangers won two matches and drew four but, despite not losing a single game, went out to French team Olympique de Marseille. They won the double the following season but missed out on a back-to-back domestic treble after losing in the Scottish Cup final to Dundee United. Rangers again won the championship in seasons 1994-1995 and 1995-1996 with the help of signings such as Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne. In season 1996-1997 Rangers went on to win their ninth championship in a row thereby equalizing Celtic's achievement of the late 60's and early 70's. Season 1997-1998 proved to be Walter Smith's last season as manager and Rangers were unable to win their tenth league championship in a row. Smith left Rangers and joined English Premiership team Everton. Many players also left Rangers including Brian Laudrup, Ally McCoist and captain Richard Gough. The Little General Dick Advocaat, nicknamed the little general, succeeded Walter Smith at the start of season 1998-1999.

Advocaat, former manager of PSV, was Rangers' tenth ever manager and their first non-Scottish manager. Many players left Rangers after Walter Smith's departure and Advocaat made several signings including Arthur Numan, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Andrei Kanchelskis. In total Advocaat spent over �36 million on new players in his debut season. However, he did not disappoint on the pitch as he led Rangers to a domestic treble. The following season Advocaat continued to spend big bringing the likes of Michael Mols and Claudio Reyna to Ibrox. In his second season he led Rangers to the domestic double and led them into the Champions League for the first time having beaten Parma in a qualifier. However, the arrival of Martin O'Neill at rivals Celtic halted Rangers' dominance and, despite yet again qualifying for the Champions League and major signings such as Tore Andr� Flo and Ronald de Boer, the club did not win a major competition in the 2000-2001 season.

Having made a poor start to season 2001-2002 Advocaat resigned as manager and took up a General Manager position which he would later leave after only 11 months. Alex McLeish was the relatively surprising appointment as the new Rangers manager in December 2002. During Advocaat's tenure at Ibrox, it had been realised that with the club deep in financial difficulty they would be unable to continue signing top European players and instead focused on producing their own players. As a result, Advocaat spear-headed the building of Murray Park - a �12m training complex. His popularity plummeted however, as his expensive purchases failed to deliver on the pitch. Under Big Eck Under Alex McLeish Rangers won both the Scottish cup and league cup in his first season. Despite not being able to sign any new players due to the clubs financial position, he lifted the domestic treble in his second season at Ibrox.

However, for season 2003-2004 he was not only unable to sign many new players he also had to sell many of his treble stars including captain Barry Ferguson who joined Blackburn Rovers and as a result of many of these players leaving the trophy cabinet was left empty. McLeish signed several players for season 2004 - 2005 including Dado Prso, Nacho Novo and Jean-Alain Boumsong. Boumsong would later leave the club in January 2005 to English Premiership side Newcastle United for �8m. That however paved the way for more signings including Thomas Buffel and the return of former captain Barry Ferguson, who had failed to settle at Blackburn Rovers and indeed suffered a serious injury that had forced him to miss many months of competitive action.

Famous present or former players at Ibrox include: Derek Johnstone, Alan Morton, Sam English,David Meiklejohn, Robert Smith McColl, Willie Waddell, Colin Stein, Jock Shaw, Paul Gascoigne, Terry Butcher, Graeme Souness, Davie Cooper, Ally McCoist, Mark Hateley, Brian Laudrup, Claudio Reyna, Arthur Numan, Lorenzo Amoruso, Rodney Wallace, Fernando Ricksen, Jim Baxter, Ray Wilkins, Richard Gough, Andy Goram, Barry Ferguson, William 'Sandy' Jardine and Jean-Alain Boumsong.

Rangers FC Honours, Trophies & Awards European Cup Winners Cup: 1972 (1) Scottish League Champions: 1891, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1918, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1987, 

1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003 (50) Scottish Cup Winners: 1894, 1897, 1898, 1903, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2000, 200

2, 2003 (31) Scottish League Cup Winners: 1946, 1948, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005 (24) Drybrough Cup: 1979 Albert Kidd: Dundee sub who broke Hearts to become a Celtic hero - BBC Sport BBC Sport Albert Kidd: Dundee sub who broke Hearts to become a Celtic hero By David Currie It was 1986 when Tom Cruise became a megastar and a Dundee substitute became a hero to fans of two clubs he never played for.

It was the year Hearts came within minutes of beating Celtic to the league title. Albert Kidd may not have had the box office appeal of the American actor who made his blockbuster debut in Top Gun - but then Cruise has never been voted player of the year by a Hibs' supporters club in Sydney. Kidd is held in perhaps even greater esteem by followers of Celtic for his role in their dramatic last-day title triumph on 3 May. For although the likes of Paul McStay, Brian McClair, Danny McGrain, Mo Johnston and Roy Aitken got their medals, they wouldn't have were it not for Albert Kidd, or Alby, as he is known after settling Down Under. If it wasn't for Kidd, the 1985-86 league title would most probably have been won by the Hearts team of Sandy Jardine, Gary MacKay, John Robertson et al. That side, managed by Alex MacDonald, were two points clear of Davie Hay's Celtic going into the final league matches. Thousands of Hearts fans travelled to Dens Park in anticipation of cheering their team to their first championship since 1960. Hearts need a draw A point was all that was required. But their preparations were less than ideal.

Former Hearts midfielder Kenny Black explains: ''A virus swept through the team that week, four or five us were affected, including me, Craig Levein and Brian Whittaker. "On the day, Brian was deemed fit enough to start but we knew he wouldn't last the whole game. I was only fit enough for the bench and would have to come on at half-time. Craig wasn't even fit enough to make the squad. He was a big, big miss. "But I remember going to bed the night before thinking that the next day we could be champions. '"There are parallels with the Leicester City story in England this season. Celtic and Aberdeen were the favourites. We had a talented team with good flair players but we weren't fancied. However, we went on an incredible run of over 30 matches unbeaten, including 27 in the league. "Going into that final game we hadn't lost in the league since Clydebank beat us in September." Celtic behind on goals too In the era of two points for a win, Celtic had to hope Hearts lost and they needed to overturn a goal difference of four. McStay remembers: "All we could do was be professional.

Go along to Love Street and get the three points and put the pressure on Hearts. Tom Cruise and Albert Kidd shared the headlines for a while in 1986 ''We had a fabulous team including the likes of Danny McGrain, Tommy Burns, Roy Aitken, Mo Johnston, Murdo Macleod and others with lots of experience. "If you're looking for people to handle a big occasion, you need winners within your squad. We had that in abundance, guys who knew what was needed to be successful. We had the winning mentality.'' By half time in Paisley, Celtic were 4-0 up and coasting, but that wasn't enough when it was still 0-0 at Dens Park. Kidd, now 54, says it was "amazing" he was even in the Dundee squad that day. "I'd had trouble with injury that season and was having a bit of a lean period at the time," he recalls.

"But I went to the manager Archie Knox on the Friday and told him he should put me in because I'd played well before against Hearts, so he put me on the bench." SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE 1985-86 -48 20 Even then the course of Scottish football history could have run differently had Dundee's Tosh McKinlay not picked up an injury. But moustached and mullet-haired Celtic supporter Kidd entered the fray after 61 minutes. The rest is history and heartbreak for Hearts. Kidd scored from close range eight minutes from time. ''We had proven throughout the season that even when we were in the jaws of defeat we'd get a chance to come back and equalise," says Black. "So when we went a goal down we thought we could still do it.'' That hope disappeared when Kidd scored his second, running with the ball from the halfway line, playing and receiving a pass before shooting past goalkeeper Henry Smith. Hearts' long unbeaten in all competitions was over and so were their title hopes. "After the second goal goes in so late in the game, you know that's it,'' sighs Black.

'It was pandemonium - in a good way' News of Kidd's heroics filtered through to fans listening to their radios on the terraces in Paisley, as former Celtic midfielder Macleod remembers. ''I don't know how many Celtic fans were jammed into Love Street, but they went berserk, the noise in the stadium was incredible! We realised that Dundee must have gone ahead." That made for an anxious end to the game against St Mirren. Murdo MacLeod (left) and Sandy Clark tussle as Hearts drew 1-1 at Celtic Park in the 1985-86 season ''We went on to win 5-0, against a very good St Mirren side," adds Macleod. "But you didn't want to go daft or get carried away until we got the final score from Dundee. We weren't sure if that game was over. ''I remember walking to the halfway line, then seeing Celtic fans pouring onto the pitch then we knew we'd won it. It was pandemonium, but pandemonium in a good way." Hearts fans spilled onto the pitch too, the BBC Sportscene cameras capturing their misery.

Commentator Archie Macpherson struck a sympathetic tone, describing them as "utterly bemused by the happenings of this afternoon." Scottish football being Scottish football, conspiracy theories abound to this day about the events of that day. According to some, St Mirren players with Celtic leanings perhaps didn't try as hard they ought to. Black says: "I'm friendly with Jim Stewart, the St Mirren goalkeeper that day. I know he was disappointed by the performances of some of his team-mates that day. But Celtic were a quality side and if you see some of the goals they scored that day, it wouldn't have mattered who they were playing." Macleod also gives short shrift to that line of thinking. "If that's the case, I wish someone had told me that before the game, I wouldn't have had to try so hard," he says. "They were a competitive side with some excellent players, guys like Tony Fitzpatrick, Billy Abercrombie and so on. They had chances to score and were unlucky not to get two or three." 'It was the lowest point in my career' Black does, however, feel refereeing decisions went against Hearts.

"I think we should have had a penalty when Sandy Clark was fouled," he says. "But that's not to make excuses, you have to give credit to Celtic for what they achieved.'' Kidd (14) watches his shot fly past Hearts goalkeeper Henry Smith at a packed Dens Park The champions celebrated their title win with champagne, just one bottle though. "One of the backroom staff had taken it along in his car just in case," recalls Macleod. "In situations like that you don't want to be filling the team bus with bottles of the stuff, so our celebrations after the match were more about pats on the back. But we celebrated with a few shandies later." The contrast with the mood in the Hearts dressing room could not have been starker. ''I've never experienced anything like it," Black explains. "There's no words you can use to express the feeling. Distraught is about the best description I can give. It was the lowest point in my career. '"I remember the supporters on the pitch and seeing them in their buses going down the road afterwards and just feeling that we'd let them down. But they were tremendous." The season wasn't over for Hearts. They had a Scottish Cup final to play a week later.

"We had to pick ourselves up quickly," says Black. "It was really tough to come back on the Monday for training. The coaches did what they could to try and lift spirits, but there was only so much they could do. "We had a match to come against a quality Aberdeen side, in what was expected to be Alex Ferguson's last match. "It proved to be too much for us. The frustration from the previous week spilled over and our captain Walter Kidd got sent off." Aberdeen went on to win 3-0 at Hampden. "Looking back, we gave our supporters a lot of joy that season but it all ended in disappointment," adds Black. Billy Connolly star-struck Celtic fans show their appreciation of Kidd in a banner display to honour their class of 1986 Thirty years ago, a Hibernian and Celtic hero was born. To fans of Hearts' arch rivals Hibs, 3 May is [unofficially] Albert Kidd Day. "About 10 years after the game I was invited to a Hibs supporters convention in Sydney," recalls Kidd. "They made me player of the year." Celtic supporters of a certain vintage hold him in great esteem too - even celebrities.

"I met Billy Connolly on the steps of a hotel," says Kidd. "When I told him I'd scored a couple of goals that helped Celtic win the league, he said straight away 'You're Albert Kidd'. He invited me to his show that night and backstage afterwards." Those May events earned Kidd a measure of fame that endures. At the time though, it was bitter sweet. "You have to remember we had something to play for too," he says. "We were going for European qualification. However, we didn't get it because Rangers beat Motherwell to beat us to it. We met the Hearts players in the players' lounge after the match and we really felt for them. It was so sad. '' Share this page Aberdeen are the biggest shock title challengers in Britain, not Leicester Aberdeen are the biggest shock title challengers in Britain, not Leicester 10 Mar 2016, 09:57 IST Updated : 29 Sep 2016, 18:40 IST Aberdeen currently sit only one point off league leaders Celtic. A huge shock is on the cards in British football as a rank outsider is threatening to gatecrash the millionaire favourites.

But it is Scottish hopefuls Aberdeen and not English league leaders Leicester who have bridged the biggest financial gulf. As far as squad values and wage bills are concerned, it would be a bigger upset if Aberdeen pipped Celtic to the Scottish title than if Leicester held off a pack of blue-chip chasers in the English top flight. Leicester are five points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League , with Arsenal and Manchester City also in contention. Aberdeen are a point behind Celtic. Things are far from over with teams still left to play nine or 10 games in the season. Yet the longest high street odds suggest a 44 percent chance of Leicester being crowned champions with Aberdeen rated a 10 percent shot to do so. The disparity in the finances between these clubs and their rivals could partly explain why bookmakers see Aberdeen as far greater underdogs. At 95 million pounds ($135 million), the market value of Leicester's squad equates to around 40 percent of Tottenham's (234 million pounds) and 30 percent of Arsenal's (330 million pounds).

The Leicester squad is worth 25 percent of Manchester City's (376 million pounds), the most valuable in the league, according to Transfermarkt. North of the border, Aberdeen's squad is worth less than 7 million pounds, or 17 percent of Celtic's 40 million-pound group of players. "All credit to Aberdeen, they have hung in there but with the money Celtic are spending and the players they have got, you would have fully expected them to pull away," former Rangers striker Kris Boyd said of his old rivals this week. Higher Mountain Although Aberdeen arguably have a higher mountain to climb, if either team triumph it would be one of the biggest surprises in European domestic football for years. Aberdeen, under Alex Ferguson of Manchester United fame, were the last side outside the "old firm" of Glasgow's Celtic and Rangers to win the Scottish league, back in 1984-85. Rangers are favourites to be back in the top flight next year having been in lower division wilderness following their relegation in 2012 for financial irregularities.

Blackburn Rovers were the last real surprise English winners in 1994-95 but they did it with a wage bill to match most of their rivals. In Europe, Atletico Madrid pipped Spain's La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona in the 2013-14 season, but according to Transfermarkt their squad is currently worth 269 million pounds, more than half that of their rivals. Current information on wages is hard to pin down, but Global Sports Salaries Survey, published annually by website 'Sporting Intelligence', gives an insight into how difficult it is to spring an upset in Scotland versus England. The most recent survey showed six clubs in the Premier League paid average salaries for first-team players in the summer of 2014 of 3-5 million pounds per player, two or three times more than the 1-2 million pounds paid by the rest. In Scotland, Celtic paid 900,000 pounds, around seven times the 140,000 pounds forked out by Aberdeen.

Ross County -- who currently lie fourth and knocked Celtic out of the Scottish League Cup in January -- paid an average of just 36,000 pounds per player. ($1 = 0.7032 pounds) Rangers - Historical Football Kits Historical Football Kits Founder member of the Scottish Football League 1890. Membership of Scottish Premier League terminated 2012. Admitted to Scottish Football League July 2012 1893-1896 a l p r 1896-1897 l p 1904-1907 a c p r 1907-1909 l p r 1909-1915 a c l p 1915-1918 a p 1922-1960 a d e l 1960-1968 a d Background In 1872 Peter and Moses McNeill agreed with their friends, Peter Campbell and William McBeath to form a team that played two matches under the name of “Rangers” after an English rugby club.

In 1873 the club was formally constituted and their first fixture list drawn up. The team were nicknamed “the Light Blues” to distinguish them from the many Scottish teams that wore the commonplace navy jerseys of the time. The term was coined after the 1878 Scottish Cup final against Vale of Leven when journalists described the team as "the light and speedy blues." Later on, according to John Allan, "When the late Mr. Angus Campbell was honorary secretary in 1879-80, jerseys with blue and white hoops were adopted. Matters had not been going too well with the team. Mr. Campbell felt his responsibility. He was a true Highlander with a liberal strain of superstition in his being. A change of colours might change the luck, so, at his suggestion, the old royal blue was packed away in the locker. Nobody was happy, however, until it was brought out again by a decree of a committee meeting of 1883. In royal blue the Rangers have played ever since." It is believed that the club's original crest, incorporating the letters "RFC" intertwined, was adopted from the club's formation but the first evidence of the design comes from the season ticket shown here.

This never appeared on shirts. Rangers reached the Scottish Cup final in 1877 and 1879 but on both occasions the village team of Vale of Leven got the better of them (Rangers refused to turn up for the replay in 1879 so Vale were awarded the cup). The first ever Old Firm game with Celtic took place in May 1888 (Celtic won 5-2). Two years later Rangers became founder members of the new Scottish Football League. At the end of the season Rangers and Dumbarton were level on points and a play-off was arranged to decide the championship. When this match was drawn, the title was shared. In 1894, Rangers won the Scottish Cup for the first time, beating Celtic 3-1. They went on to win the trophy again in 1897 and 1898. In 1898-99 Rangers won all eighteen of their league matches to win the first of four consecutive championships. In December 1899, Rangers moved into the present Ibrox Park, designed by the ubiquitous Archibald Leitch.

Three years later tragedy struck and 26 spectators died when a section of terracing collapsed during a Scotland v England international. In 1903, Rangers won the Scottish Cup for the second time but, remarkably, they would not get their hands on this trophy for another 25 years. Success in the league was not so long in coming, with championships in 1911, 1912, 1913, and 1918. Since 1904, Rangers have usually worn black and red socks, the colours of the Burgh of Govan where the club has always been based. Between the wars, Rangers domination of the league was absolute. Under the management of William Struth they won 15 out of the 21 championships played up until the outbreak of World War Two as well as six Scottish Cups, winning the “double” for the first time in 1927-28.

On 2nd January 1939, 118,567 fans crammed into Ibrox to watch Rangers beat Celtic 2-1 in the traditional New Year’s Old Firm derby – the highest attendance at a league match ever recorded in the British Isles. In 1922 Rangers adopted white collars on their shirts to complement the black stockings with red tops seen the previous season. Remarkably, this outfit remained completely unchanged for almost 40 years. After the Second World War, Rangers took up where they left off winning the first post-war championship and newly created Scottish League Cup and in 1948-49 they won the domestic treble. Rangers continued to dominate throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, amassing eight league titles, seven Scottish FA Cups and four League Cups. In 1959 the club crest was modified with a lion rampant appearing in the central shield above the club motto, "Ready." This was later updated to the modern version in use today. While this appears on official merchandise, literature as well as at Ibrox, it has never been worn on the team shirts.

It was not until 1968 that a crest of any sort appeared on Rangers' shirts, the famous intertwined letters. This design has become synonymous with the club. The mid 1960s saw the pendulum swing in favour of Celtic and Rangers did not win the league again until 1975. In 1971 during the traditional New Year’s Day Old Firm match a second disaster occurred at Ibrox when barriers to the rear of passageway 13 collapsed. Sixty-six people lost their lives and more than 200 were injured. As a result, the club set about a major redevelopment of Ibrox, financed by the club’s enormously profitable football pool business. In 1972 Rangers won their first – and so far only – European honour, narrowly beating Moscow Dynamo at the Nou Camp stadium. The occasion was marred by a pitch invasion and clashes with the police which led to Rangers being banned from Europe the following season. The 1980s were another comparatively bleak spell for the ‘Gers as the “New Firm” of Aberdeen and Dundee United emerged.

Rangers' league form slumped and in 1986, the board turned to Graham Souness, appointed as player manager, to turn the club’s fortunes round. The combative Souness reversed the trend of the past century by persuading top English players to move north and in his first season he won the League and Cup double. He also, incidentally introduced plain red socks in place of the traditional black versions with a red turnover. The revolution was completed when Souness’ friend David Murray became the club’s new owner in November 1988. Over the next ten years Murray oversaw the investment of £90m on players and £52m on the stadium. The impact was profound and between 1989 and 1997, Rangers won a record nine championships in a row. Between 1990 and 1994 a more elaborate version of the RFC crest was used before it was replaced by the simpler, 1968 style. Since the millennium, Rangers and Celtic have more or less shared the honours but the big prize of a European trophy continues to elude both clubs.

In recent years both Rangers and Celtic have bowed to pressure distance themselves from their sectarian history and clamp down on the behaviour of their fans. Rangers were originally identified with the Presbyterian establishment while Celtic’s roots lay with the impoverished Catholic Irish immigrants living in the city's east end. In nineteenth century Scotland there was nothing unusual in this but the sectarian connections of most clubs faded away over time. This was not the case for the Old Firm whose rivalry was fuelled by the sharp divisions between the catholic and protestant traditions which the West of Scotland shares with Ulster. At its worst, the clubs became the focus of bigotry and hatred from both communities and Old Firm matches were generally disfigured by the singing of sectarian songs and violence. It was widely held that Rangers would not sign Catholic players until Graham Souness publicly renounced the club’s “unwritten policy” in 1989 when he signed ex-Celtic player, Mo Johnston. In fact, around twenty Catholics had played for the club although none of these was prepared to acknowledge their faith publicly. Rangers’ record is, quite literally, second to none.

They are by some distance the most successful club in Scotland having amassed (by 2012) 54 League championships and 116 major trophies, both world records. They have won the domestic treble a record seven times and have competed in Europe more times than any other British club. Since 2003 the club's badge has featured five small stars - one for every ten championships. After 23 years, Sir David Murray sold the club to businessman Craig Whyte for £1, an indication that rumours about the club's perilous financial position were true. In February HMRC took out a winding-up order over £14 in unpaid taxes and the club went into administration, taking a ten-point penalty that handed the title to Celtic. Over the following weeks a stream of revelations emerged: HMRC were claiming an additional £75 for tax-avoidance schemes operated by Murray and total debts amounted to £134m. The SFA handed Whyte a life time ban and a substantial fine for "not being a fit and proper person to be a director" while the club was hit with a £160,000 fine and a 12-month transfer embargo.

An investigation into illegal tax-avoidance continued with the threat of prosecution likely. As they were unable to file accounts, Rangers were not allowed to play in Europe the following season while the playing staff, who had taken substantial pay cuts in return for release clauses being inserted into their contracts, left en masse once the season ended. Once it became clear that it would be impossible to negotiate a CVA with its creditors and Rangers PLC would have to be liquidated, a consortium led by Charles Green, bought the club's assets for £5.5m from the administrators in June 2012. As a result of the liquidation of the old club, Rangers membership of the SPL and SFA lapsed. Amid dire warnings about the financial consequences and a threatened boycott by supporters of other clubs, the SPL members voted overwhelmingly to refuse the "newco" Rangers admission on 13 July. The following Monday, under pressure from the SFA and SPL to admit Rangers to the second tier, the SFL members voted to accept the club into the Third Division. This debacle rocked Scottish football and reinvigorated calls for reform, shelved since the SFA commissioned McLeish Report of 2010.

Rangers had at least survived and now had the opportunity to start again without crippling debt although the threat of sanctions imposed on the old club being transferred rumbled on. Opinion on the status of the "newco Rangers" was divided with many in the media considering them to be a new entity. The club's management however insisted the club continues under a new company. The SFA appeared to agree with this latter view. To emphasise this continuity, the team wore a special crest in the home game against Stirling Albion on 8 December 2012, which new research has established is the 140th anniversary of their formation. As expected, Rangers won the Third Division title at a canter despite a transfer embargo imposed from the end of the 2012 summer transfer window. As associate members, Rangers did not have a vote when the SFL membership decided on a merger with the SPL in June 2013. By 2014-15 Rangers were in the second tier but plagued by chronic financial problems, byzantine conflicts off the field and poor performances on it. Such was the toxic atmosphere surrounding the club that even the most loyal supporters stayed away in large numbers.

After a bitter struggle, South African based businessman Dave King took control in March 2015 although he was unable to immediately take a seat on the board because his convictions for tax evasion in South Africa meant he would not pass the SFA's "fit & proper person" test. The season ended with Rangers losing heavily to Motherwell in the play-offs final over two legs, consigning them to another season in the Championship and defeat in the Sxcottish Cup final against Hibernian. The following season Rangers won the Championship convincingly and returned to the first tier. Off the pitch, problems rumbled on between the new board and Mike Ashley, the chairman of Newcastle United who had taken 9% of Rangers' shares under a deal between Sports Direct under the previous Rangers regime. One of the many issues under dispute was Sports Direct's contract to market Rangers' merchandise under which the club received 4% of the revenue. In May Rangers announced they were ripping up the contract. The new kits for the 2016-17 season were reported to have been ordered by Sports Direct without reference to the club.. You are welcome to Contact Me with corrections and additions. Sources

Question: 1985 was the last year that the Scottish football league title was not won by either Celtic or Rangers, which team won it that year?
Answer: Aberdeen